Link of the Week

What’s a Monkey to Do in Tampa?
And on it went, with the monkey zigging and zagging around Tampa Bay, dodging the government agencies bent on capturing it. The state considers the animal a potential danger to humans and, like all invasive species, an illegitimate and maybe destructive part of Florida’s ecology. But the public came to see the monkey as an outlaw, a rebel — a nimble mascot for “good, old-fashioned American freedom,” as one local reporter put it. This week, tens of thousands of Republicans will pour into Tampa. There will be lots of national self-scrutiny and hand-wringing at the convention center downtown. But the most fundamental questions — What exactly is government for? Where are the lines between liberty, tyranny and lawlessness? — have been shaking the trees around Tampa for years.

By The Numbers: Disappearing Fish
90%. That’s the staggering amount of forage fish caught globally that are used for non-human activities such as providing fishmeal for aquaculture—fish farms—and agriculture, pigs and chickens. Other uses include fish oil for Omega-3 oils and pet food. A 13-member task force surveying worldwide forage fish populations suggests cutting the fishing rate by half to encourage renewal of the vulnerable fish and protect the predators that eat them. The task force report, “Little Fish, Big Impact” also calls for doubling the minimum biomass (the amount of fish by weight) of forage fish that must be left in the water.

Congressmen call on USDA to reopen slaughterhouse
Three U.S. congressmen from California are calling for the Department of Agriculture to immediately reopen a slaughterhouse closed this week after videos showed what the agency called “disturbing evidence of inhumane treatment of cattle.”….Republican Reps. Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham and Kevin McCarthy wrote Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Thursday to urge the reopening of the plant because its closure caused “enormous economic stress in a community with double digit unemployment.”

Animal cruelty: Why McDonald’s, In-N-Out, Wall Street now say no
In-N-Out, McDonald’s Corp., Jack in the Box, Burger King and other chains quickly cut ties with Central Valley Meat Co. this week after undercover footage from an animal welfare group showed cows at the California slaughterhouse seemingly tortured and otherwise mistreated…Major food chains are now more eager than ever to abandon suppliers deemed to be cruel to animals. Denny’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and more have pledged this year to wean themselves of pork raised in cramped gestation crates and eggs laid by chickens crowded in cages.

Seat belts for dogs? How about a humane life for pigs?
The state SPCA justifies car restraints for pets by pointing to seat belts for children. But instead of trying to apply the same standards we use for kids to animals — are you prepared to brush your cat’s teeth twice daily and pay for psychoanalysis? — let’s focus on banning practices that are clearly cruel and inhumane. Like those of the pork industry, which keeps pigs locked for years in cages so cramped they can’t even turn around. Another bill pending in the state Assembly would simply require that mother pigs at least be able to stand up, lie down, turn around and extend their limbs.

Ask Everett to stop supporting animal circuses
This coming week, Ringling Bros will have numerous performances at the Everett Events Center
The animals do not enjoy being carted all over the country to jump through hoops in a brightly lit circus ring. Elephants, and the other animals in the circus, deserve better than to be forced to perform tricks for peoples’ amusement.
There has been endless documentation to show that the elephants in the circus are abused, and it is time to stop supporting animal circuses.Take Action
In addition to attending the circus protests, please contact the Comcast Arena at Everett, and politely ask them to make this the last year that they host a circus with animals.

‘Losing My Leg To Cancer Inspired Me To Become A Voice For Farm Animals’
After an undercover trip to to film farm animal abuse in Texas, Brown gave up her career and dedicated her life becoming a voice for these animals. Brown is now the Co-Founder and Director of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary—a not-for-profit organization and farm animal shelter located in the Catskill Mountains of New York and the author of The Lucky Ones, My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals.

Baby boomers embrace vegetarianism
About 2.5 million Americans over the age of 55 are vegetarian according to a 2012 Harris poll conducted for the Vegetarian Resource Group, and doctors and researchers say interest in such diets is growing. The prominence of some aging vegetarians stokes this trend: In addition to Clinton (age 65), there is Paul McCartney (70), retired tennis player Martina Navratilova (55) and actor Ian McKellen (73). Less famous but nevertheless impressive vegetarians include Fauja Singh, an India-born Briton who at 101 years old runs marathons.

Tell the EPA: Stop stalling. Save the Bees!
Last month, for the second time, the EPA refused to intervene to stop the use of the pesticide clothianidin, which scientists believe is at least partially to blame for the alarming rise in bee colony collapse — the sudden bee die-off which has claimed about 30% of the U.S. honey bee population each year since 2006.

If we don’t convince the EPA to reconsider, it is not scheduled to review clothianidin again until 2018. By then it could be too late for the bees, and the one third of our food crops that bees play a crucial role in pollinating.

The EPA is currently accepting public comments on its latest decision not to declare bee die-offs an emergency situation and suspend the use of clothianidin. Now is a crucial moment to make our voices heard for the bees.

The science of colony collapse is complex, but increasingly scientists are pointing to the class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids – which includes clothianidin – as a major causal factor.1

The pesticide, which is used to treat seeds like corn and canola, expresses itself through the plants’ pollen and nectar – the honey bee’s favorite sources of food. Neonicotinoid pesticides are relatively new, and their use coincides with the rise of colony collapse.
Astonishingly, clothianidin was approved by the EPA in 2003, based on virtually no scientific study.2 Yet the EPA continues to allow its use.
Now, a group of senators have joined the call, writing a letter telling the EPA that waiting until 2018 to again review clothianidin and other neonicotinoids will be too late.3

There is no time to waste. Please submit a comment now urging the EPA to immediately suspend approval of clothianidin to protect honey bees and our food system.

Omak Suicide Race: Horse Drowns in Downhill Prelims, First to Die Since 2007, 23rd Since ’83
Breaking a four-year string without a death, a horse drowned in the Okanogan River after breaking its leg in a preliminary race on the steep, 220-foot Omak Stampede Suicide Race hill Friday. The mount, Little Big Man, was the 23rd to die in the last three decades, including three horses in 2004, leading to annual demonstrations at the world-famous race by members of PAWS and other rights groups .”What it is, is animal abuse, pure and simple,” says local PAWS spokesperson Mark Coleman as the Stampede prepares for its 79th annual running this weekend.

Meatless Mondays can be patriotic, too
Recently, the Texas commissioner of agriculture reacted with outrage to the fact that employees of the United States Department of Agriculture would dare suggest, in an internal newsletter on “greening” the Washington headquarters, that co-workers might consider practicing “Meatless Mondays” to reduce the environmental impact of their diet. “Last I checked,” blogged Commissioner Todd Staples, “USDA had a very specific duty to promote and champion American agriculture. Imagine Ford or Chevy discouraging the purchase of their pickup trucks. Anyone else see the absurdity? How about the betrayal?” Staples went on to call the suggestion to forgo meat once in a while ”treasonous.” L’état, c’est boeuf. But there’s a bigger question: Is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s purpose, indeed, simply to promote the consumption of American commodities in the same way Ford tries to sell F-150s? Or is it instead to help agriculture work for the American public at large?

Lower Demand for Meat Weighs on Tyson’s Results
Tyson Foods, the nation’s biggest meat company, said Monday that its net income fell 61 percent in its most recent quarter, pulled down by hefty debt-related charges and lower consumer demand for chicken and beef. The results fell short of Wall Street’s expectations and the company cut its full-year sales forecast, saying that it expected the difficult market conditions to affect its profit into its next fiscal year.

Vanderbilt team develops ‘microbrain’ in quest for life-saving drugs
A mechanical device as small as a grain of rice is about to replace the mice. Instead of using laboratory mice to test new drug therapies, scientists will put human cells into microfabricated bioreactors that mimic how organs respond to experimental medicines. This new technology could speed up drug development, cut costs and curb false hopes.

Animal rights protesters stop in Abilene to picket Wal-Mart
Dark heavy clouds overhead lent somberness to the picketing outside Abilene’s southside Walmart. Phil Letten, national campaign coordinator for animal rights organization Mercy For Animals, and Nick Wallerstedt, an MFA intern, are on a three-month campaign aimed at Walmarts around the country. The plan is to educate people about the treatment of pigs by two suppliers of pork products to the chain.

India grapples with millions of stray dogs
Since 2001, euthanizing dogs has been illegal in India, resulting in an explosion in the stray dog population. It’s estimated that tens of millions of strays roam the country’s streets, biting millions of people with the human rabies toll reaching an estimated 20,000 deaths each year. Some health officials and animal advocates are promoting aggressive spay and neuter programs along with vaccinations, while others are calling for the use of a contraceptive vaccine and reinstating euthanasia.

Red Meat Tied to Stroke Risk
Eating red meat — including beef, pork, lamb, ham, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon — may increase the risk of stroke, a meta-analysis showed. Each one-serving-per-day increase in fresh, processed, and total red meat intake was associated with an 11% to 13% relative increase in the risk of all strokes, driven by an increase in the risk of ischemic stroke, according to Joanna Kaluza, PhD, of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, and colleagues.

Humans have a great capacity for compassion and for cruelty – but most people, when given all of the information, opt for compassion. We know that circuses that use living animals as entertainment are some of cruelest behind the scenes while wooing families with the prospect of happy dancing elephants and tigers jumping through hoops. Most people who attend the circus never imagine the horrors that go on for the sake of breaking these wild creatures. They don’t know that there are real individuals that suffer in these horrific, surreal traveling prisons – beaten to conform, forced to perform, chained and caged for most of their lives.

Many nations (Ireland, India, Sweden, Singapore, Austria, Finland, Costa Rica, and more) around the world have already banned animal circuses – as have many major cities, including Redmond, WA. But alas, Ringling Bros. Circus is coming to Everett, Tacoma, and Kent August 17-Sept 3, 2012. And thousands of unassuming patrons will be dolling out dollars to one of the worst animal abusers.

These creatures need us to come out this month and speak on their behalf. They need us to raise our voices even tho’ they can’t. They need us in numbers to share what we know with circus-goers so that people walk away and reject the cruelty behind the training.

So this is our call: Don’t stay home. When you are with others who care, and when you see what a difference just speaking out can do, you’ll be proud. For each city that bans circuses, for every family that ops not to buy a ticket, these animals and their future offspring get closer to sanctuaries. The money for the exotic animal trade dries up. This process of saying “no” to circuses and telling potential circus goers about the reality behind the myth is the only way to make it stop.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/